AIDS in the office

[al]

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I put this post on the "dental" forum, but I'm interested on what you predents think:

The other day I was assisting a dentist at the clinic at the clinic I volunteer at, and we treated a patient with AIDS. Now, I've always understood that in dentistry, treating an AIDS patient will be bound to happen, and that contraction of the disease from a patient is just one of those extremely rare risks that come with the job. I've accepted this and still desire to pursue dentistry (I'm entering dental school in the fall). But I guess since this patient was pretty much the first person with AIDS I've ever encountered, let alone interacted with in a dental setting, I was just taken aback and couldn't help but think of potentially contracting AIDS or any other non-curable disease via needle prick, accidental cut with the drill, etc.

I guess I'm wondering how real is the possibility of this ever occurring? Do you dentists have this thought in the back of your mind as well when you are treating patients, let alone AIDS patients, etc? How often will a typical dentist prick himself or cut him/herself with a drill during their career? (I apologize if these questions seem ridiculous)

I have no intentions of ditching my dental career plans, no matter what your responses maybe. I know that with the exposure and education I'll receive while in school on such clinical situations and precautions, I'll feel more comfortable. but I'll admit at this moment I have these worries in the back of my head. should I be worried? Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.

 

[cusp of carabelli]

Ahhh....another bruin !...so what school are you going to?! I think the risk of contracting AIDS is a legitimate concern in the dental profession b/c of the likelyhood that we will come in contact with the patient's blood while working on them. For me at least, I think that as long as you take all the universal precautions and just be careful to protect yourself, then that's all you can do. The rest is all left up to chance unfortunately. I'm sure certain patients will have the same fear of contracting AIDS from an infected dentist.
The good thing is that the AIDS virus is very weak in the environment and can be killed off relatively easily and the incidence of health-care worker transmission is really rare (about 75 cases total which turn out to be less than 1/2 of 1%. If you have time, I'd take Bio 40 (if it's still called that)....the biology of AIDS by Dr. Bohman....I know it's considered a jock class but it's very informative

 

[tinker bell]

I guess that the chance is pretty slim. It all depends on the person (I mean how clumpsy the person is) If you have worked in a lab or in a dental office. Can you recall how often you break and ruin things in your workplace? I know some of my coworker are pretty clumsy ( a girl literally burns a gel that was running in buffer and break things like almost every week.) if you are not that clumsy, then I don't think that you should worry. Training in dental school should be sufficient enough. And they will probably provide lots of education about the HIV virus. I talked to my dentist about this and she seems to give it very little concern. She is so confident that nothing will get her. Hope you will not get too worry. Enjoy your first year in dental school.
T

 

[StarGirl]

i don't think you should have to worry much. I had an essay question bout that at temple. You have no choice... it's better to know that the patient has HIV, at least then u can take more precuation...but you should always work under the assumption that they ARE infected with HIV.

I don't know how it works, but I asked one of my 4th yr dental friends at UCLA if any of his classmates or anyone he knows has poked himself w/ an infected needle and I think he said he knows two of these incidences and that the students just goes on to take drugs that greatly decrease the chances of getting HIV. What kinda drugs? I don't know... you'll have to research it and get back to us on that. 😛

too bad i don't get to be your classmate al....

 

[diente]

Excellent question. Besides HIV, you should also be considering Hepatitis. I currently work in an emergency room so I have lots of contact with patients infected with HIV. Getting stuck with a needle is unfortunately one of the risks of being in the health care field. If you do get stuck, then the usual protocol is to start on a cocktail of potent drugs. These will usually make you pretty sick. You should start the medication withing one hour of the incident for the best protection before the virus can start replicating. If at all possible, you'd want the patient in questioon to be tested to assertain their HIV/Hepatitis status. If they are clean, then you can stop the drugs 🙂 If they are infected, then you have to continue 😡 When this happens in the hospital, its pretty easy to draw a blood sample from the patient, but if you're working in a dental office, this might make it more complicated. Also, very important, if you do get stuck, make sure they give you the drugs within one hour of the incident. Don't let some triage nurse make you wait around. Remind them of the CDC protocol and the name of your malpractic lawyer!

 

[tinker bell]

Diente!
Very good info, thanks.